Combustion
by DME0414
Summary: It didn't matter that this was wrong, because he was right. Hayniss.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN To all of you traveling over from Fire in the Seam, I thank you for patients and continued faith in me.**_

**Combustion**

**Chapter One - Betrayal **

I finally reach them and I watch horror struck as Finnick and Haymitch are circling around one another, in a deadly manner. It's in this moment that I knew my instincts were right; I should have killed Finnick when I had the chance. All his actions towards us were deemed to manipulate us. Resuscitating Haymitch, letting Mags sacrifice herself, that damn golden bangle. I wonder in this moment how betrayed Haymitch must feel, this was his _friend._

I have the advantage though, neither one has seen me yet, their focus on one another, so I reach for an arrow.

As I aim to hit Finnick, I notice his movements, he's picked up a spear from the ground and as he begins to throw it towards Haymitch, I scream for him to duck.

And he does just that, but to my horror the spear that was headed towards his leg at worst, has now landed in his abdomen. I let my arrow fly, but only hits Finnick in the shoulder, the sudden gust of wind caused it to shift upward.

We lock eyes for in that moment, Finnick and I, and then he retreats into the forest, away from my sight.

As soon as he's gone, I rush over to Haymitch. He's gravely injured, and he's made matters much worse by pulling the spear from himself. I go into panic mode as I begin to rush around looking for something that could help put pressure on the wound. I find a tree with large leaves and pull as many as I can and rush back to Haymitch to make a sort of bandage for the wound, to at least hopefully somewhat stop his bleeding.

As I finish the bandage I maneuver him so that his head is in my lap. I look down at him, and see that he's staring at me, "Sweetheart, leave me. Finnick can come back any moment. I'm as good as dead."

I shake my head and plant a kiss on his forehead, "I don't care, I'm not going anywhere. Peeta will send us something. He won't let you die."

But after minutes passed, and I saw nothing in the sky, dread started to fill my heart, would Peeta actually let Haymitch die?

Another five minutes passed, and at this point I knew, nothing was coming, nothing was going to be sent to me to help me heal him, and that dread in my heart turned to anger, and before I knew it I was yelling out.

"PEETA" I scream out his name, not knowing what else to say. I know he is watching us, I know he is watching Haymitch bleed out in my arms. He is watching me struggle, watching the life slip from Haymitch and yet he does nothing.

I cannot fathom it, this boy, the boy that went against his mother and risked her wrath to burn bread for me when he saw me starving outside his families bakery will do nothing for the mentor who did not allow him to volunteer in his place for these games_, _who got him out of the games _alive._

"Please Peeta, you cannot let him die, you cannot make me watch him die! I will never forgive you! Are you jealous? Is that it? PEETA!" I am in hysterics, I am screaming to the sky and despite my survival instincts that tell me to be quiet, I cannot hold in my rage that I hold for the boy with the bread.

I'm about to begin yelling again when Haymitch interrupts me, "Sweetheart stop" His raspy voice alarms me, and as I look down at his face that is lying in my lap, I realize that I am crying. That I am shedding tears for my mentor.

This is it, I may have seconds, or minutes at best with this man that is laying on me, and I am not ready for this moment. I can feel the sob building up in my chest, and in my desperation to fight it, I bury my face in his hair, whispering desperately for him not to die.

I wonder if the cameras are on me, if Snow is taking pleasure in watching me suffer, if everyone in the Capital and the Districts is watching me lose my composure, clinging desperately to a dying man, perhaps they are wondering who I truly love, but I can't bring myself to care if they are watching, what their thoughts of me are because this is my life, this is my reality.

I pull back slightly, to look over his wound to his abdomen, the blood is soaking through the attempted bandage I made out of leaves. He is losing too much blood, his time with me is dwindling, and I am not prepared to say goodbye. I had always planned to go before him in these games, because I knew deep down I wouldn't be able to say goodbye, I selfishly wanted him to say goodbye to me.

"Sweetheart, look at me," Haymitch eyes, his seam eyes are looking at me and all I can see is someone who I couldn't protect, "lay down here with me."

I nod of my head and gently remove his head from my lap and rest it on the ground, I settle in next to him, he wraps his arm around me, and I place my head over his heart, the rhythm it produces is slow, and mournful, and I can't help but think of the song my father used to sing at the lake with me as a child.

"I don't have much time sweetheart," he says as he kisses the top of my head and with this admission the sobs that I had suppressed coming surging back, I'm not ready, I'm not ready. "I'd choose you again you know, in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd choose you."

I find myself nodding into his chest, and holding onto him just a little bit tighter. I have no words to respond, because he knows, he always knows, so instead I begin to sing.

_Are you, are you_

_Coming to the tree?_

_They strung up a man_

_They say who murdered three._

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met at midnight_

_In the hanging tree._

_Are you, are you_

_Coming to the tree?_

_Where dead man called out_

_For his love to flee._

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met at midnight_

_In the hanging tree._

_Are you, are you_

_Coming to the tree?_

_Where I told you to run,_

_So we'd both be free._

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met at midnight_

_In the hanging tree._

_Are you, are you_

_Coming to the tree?_

_Wear a necklace of rope,_

_Side by side with me._

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met at midnight_

_In the hanging tree._

As I reach the end of the song I begin to disentangle myself from him, he's passed, he's gone, his cannon has fired. I've failed to save him, but I will not fail to revenge him.

I look over his face, and brush his hair out of his face, he looks almost peaceful, like he could be sleeping, but I know this is not how he looks when he sleeps, because even then, he is in pain. I envy him in this moment.

I lean down and plant one final kiss to his lips, and rise up walking away from Haymitch. The amount of determination I have running through me is lethal, I go to where I discarded my bow, and my sheath of arrows.

I turn back in time to see a hover craft coming to collect Haymitch's body; I bring three fingers to my mouth and kiss it and solute towards him. "I'll see you at midnight," I say, and head off; I have a date with Finnick Odair.


	2. Chapter 2

**Combustion**

Chapter Two – Revive

"Ms. Everdeen," I can hear the doctor calling my name from inside the room, I'm scared to approach him, frozen in place at the doorway of his room. Can this truly be him? I watched him die, didn't I?

"Ms. Everdeen, I'm Dr. Zuri Kingston," I flick my eyes from Haymitch's sleeping form to her, she must sense my hesitation to enter the room, as she is waving me forward, gesturing for me to sit in a chair next to his bed.

"I.." but words fail me. He's been resuscitated before and brought back to life, could this be his second reviving?

_My eyes catch on a funny, rippling square hanging like a warped pane of glass in the air. At first I think it's the glare from the sun or the heat shimmering up off the ground. But it's fixed in space, not shifting when I move. And that's when I connect the square with Wiress and Beetee in the Training Center and realize what lies before us. My warning cry is just reaching my lips when Haymitch's knife swings out to slash away some vines._

_There's a sharp zapping sound. For an instant, the trees are gone and I see open space over a short stretch of bare earth. Then Haymitch's flung back from the force field, bringing Finnick and Mags to the ground._

_I rush over to where he lies, motionless in a web of vines. "Haymitch?" There's a faint smell of singed hair. I call his name again, giving him a little shake, but he's unresponsive. My fingers fumble across his lips, where there's no warm breath although moments ago he was panting. I press my ear against his chest, to the spot where I always rest my head, where I know I will hear the strong and steady beat of his heart._

_Instead, I find silence._

"_Haymitch!" I scream. I shake him harder, even resort to slapping his face, but it's no use. His heart has failed. I am slapping emptiness. "Haymitch!"_

_Finnick props Mags against a tree and pushes me out of the way. "Let me." His fingers touch points at Haymitch's neck, run over the bones in his ribs and spine. Then he pinches Haymitch's nostrils shut._

"_No!" I yell, hurling myself at Finnick, for surely he intends to make certain that Haymitch's dead, to keep any hope of life from returning to him. Finnick's hand comes up and hits me so hard, so squarely in the chest that I go flying back into a nearby tree trunk. I'm stunned for a moment, by the pain, by trying to regain my wind, as I see Finnick close off Haymitch's nose again. From where I sit, I pull an arrow, whip the notch into place, and am about to let it fly when I'm stopped by the sight of Finnick kissing Haymitch. And it's so bizarre, even for Finnick, that I stay my hand. No, he's not kissing him. He's got Haymitch's nose blocked off but his mouth tilted open, and he's blowing air into his lungs. I can see this, I can actually see Haymitch's chest rising and falling. Then Finnick unzips the top of Haymitch's jumpsuit and begins to pump the spot over his heart with the heels of his hands. Now that I've gotten through my shock, I understand what he's trying to do._

_And I find the arrow tip sinking to the ground as I lean in to watch, desperately, for some sign of success. Agonizing minutes drag past as my hopes diminish. Around the time that I'm deciding it's too late, that Haymitch's dead, moved on, unreachable forever, he gives a small cough and Finnick sits back._

_I leave my weapons in the dirt as I fling myself at him. "Haymitch?" I say softly. I brush the damp blond strands of hair back from his forehead, find the pulse drumming against my fingers at his neck._

_His lashes flutter open and his seam eyes meet mine. "Careful," he says weakly. "There's a force field up ahead."_

_I laugh, but there are tears running down my cheeks._

"_You were dead! Your heart stopped!" I burst out, before really considering if this is a good idea. I clap my hand over my mouth because I'm starting to make those awful choking sounds that happen when I sob._

"_Well, it seems to be working now," he says. "It's all right, sweetheart." I nod my head but the sounds aren't stopping._

"_Katniss?" Now Haymitch's worried about me, which adds to the insanity of it all._

_All I wanted was to keep Haymitch alive, and I couldn't and Finnick could, and I should be nothing but grateful. And I am. But I am also furious because it means that I will never stop owing Finnick Odair. Ever. So how can I kill him in his sleep?_

"_I'm fine," I finally mumble as I begin to get my sobs under control._

_And the scathing look of disbelief he shoots me makes me so mad I do the only thing I can think of: I crash my lips down onto his to stop his damn arguing with me._

_"You thought I was dead," he mumbles._

_"I think I'm dead right now," I shoot back._

_His hand is tangled up in my braid at the base of my neck, and he pulls me back far enough to smirk at me. "Probably are."_

_"Shut up and kiss me."_

_And he does just that, almost tenderly he brushes some of my hair that has fallen out of my braid behind my ear, and looks at me with the same look of intensity that he did last night and gently brushes his lips against mine once more. _

_And almost as quickly as the moment came it's gone, as if the moment clicked in his head of where we are and who is watching, Haymitch pulls his hands away from me as if I have burned him. He's stalking off the grab his knife, and I imitatively grab my bow in the same manner._

"Ms. Everdeen, I'd like to talk to you about his condition if that's alright with you."

As I'm pulled from the flashback, I realized I couldn't focus, there was not a moment that went by where I am not overcome with some flashback, some repeat of what had happened between me and Haymitch since Dr. Kingston had urged me to sit beside him.

I knew it was him the moment I sat down and grabbed his hand. There was no mistaking the scars that were there etched across them. Like the one in his left palm shaped like a tree, the one I had helped put there.

"Ms. Everdeen?" I hear Dr. Kingston call again, and nod my head as a signal for her to go head and begin.

"Mr. Aberdeen," "Haymitch," I interject, and look up towards the doctor, "if you are going to talk about him with me his name is Haymitch."

Dr. Kingston nods her head in understanding and continues, "Okay, well Haymitch has suffered some pretty serious injuries, and I'm afraid he's not out of the woods yet. We are unsure as to if he will make it through or not. He's suffered a tremendous amount of damage to his spleen and whatever the spear was coated with to drop his heart rate, and help stop him from bleeding out has unfortunately damaged his bone marrow. And to be frank that is a combination of chaos for him and us his doctors."

I grip his hand tighter, but nod again to indicate to her to keep going.

"We only just stabilized him hours before your arrival and if he doesn't wake in the next 12 hours, I fear he might never." I feel the air hitch in my throat, I'd only just gained him back, how could he dare think to leave me again so shortly?

"Thank you" I whisper out, and look up towards Dr. Kingston, "Thank you for stabilizing him, I, I had thought he was gone, but he's not so thank you.

"That's my job Mr. Everdeen."

"Katniss" I say.

"Well Katniss, then I insist you call me Zuri. I have other patients to attend; I assume you'll be around?"

"Yes," it's all I offer as a reply, and she seems to understand and nods and walks off to tend her other patients.

It's now that I understand; I understand why people hold hands. I'd always thought it was about possessiveness, saying, "this is mine," but it's about maintaining contact, it's about, "I want you with me," and "don't go."

"_Ah, there she is. All tuckered out. Finally did the math, did you, sweetheart? Worked out you won't be going in alone? And now you're here to ask me ... what?" he says. I don't answer. The window's wide open and the wind cuts through me just as if I were outside._

"_I'll admit, it was easier for the boy. He was here before I could snap the seal on a bottle. Begging me for another chance to go in. But what can you say?" He mimics my voice. '"Take his place, Haymitch, because all things being equal, I'd rather Peeta had a crack at the rest of his life than you?_

_I bite my lip because once he's said it, for Peeta to live, means Haymitch's death. No, I don't want that. He's dreadful, of course, but Haymitch is… I don't know what he is but he is defiantly something to me, something that I don't want to lose. So why am I here?_

"_I came for a drink," I say._

_He barks a laughter a passes me his bottle. Misery loves company._

"_Peeta's argument is that since I chose you, I now owe him. Anything he wants. And what he wants is the chance to go in again to protect you," says Haymitch._

"_You could live a hundred lifetimes and not deserve him, you know," Haymitch says._

"_Yeah, yeah," I say brusquely. "No question, he's the superior one in this trio. So, what are you going to do?"_

"_I don't know." Haymitch sighs. "Go back in with you maybe, if I can. If my name's drawn at the reaping, it won't matter. He'll just volunteer to take my place."_

_We sit for a while in silence. "It'd be bad for you in the arena, wouldn't it? Knowing all the others?" I ask._

"_Oh, I think we can count on it being unbearable wherever I am." He nods at the bottle. "Can I have that back now?"_

"_No," I say, wrapping my arms around it. _

"_Come on Sweetheart we both know you're a light weight and have already had far too much to drink. Where is lover boy? Shouldn't you be thanking him for promising to lay down his life for you?"_

"_You're an asshole you know that," And its then that I look at him and decide that there is something else that I want from Haymitch_

_I realize I am not just here for a drink. There's something else I want from Haymitch. "Okay, I figured out what I'm asking," I say. "If it is Peeta and me in the Games, this time we try to keep him alive."_

_Something flickers across his bloodshot eyes. Pain._

"_It's not that simple Sweetheart."_

_I look at him in that moment, he can't look me in the eye, he looks everywhere but me until I speak. "It needs to be Haymitch" _

"_I don't want you to die," he finally says, turning to me to look me in the eyes. My heart leaps as he says it, even though I know he's always meant it. _

"Katniss" The sound of my sister voice pulls me from my memories and I smile over at her. I am nothing but grateful to Gale for getting my family out safely. For protecting them when I couldn't.

"Hello little duck, what brings you here?"

Prim blushes slightly, "I knew you would be in here with him." My smile that I held minutes ago slightly falters. What does she mean by that, she couldn't possibly think that…

"I'm all he has Prim," trying to explain myself, "he had Peeta too… what I'm trying to say is that he doesn't deserve to lay here alone. Someone should be with him if he passes."

Prim nods, "I know Katniss, he's done so much for you, he made sure you came back to me and for that I will forever be thankful, I just came by to sit with you."

I stare over at Prim, and realize how my two absences have caused her to grow up so quickly. I have no words for her, such a loving girl that she is. I simply smile and pat the empty space in my seat.

And as she settles in, she puts her small little hand over my hand and his that I've intertwined, and looks over his face and whispers in his ear, barely audible enough for me to hear, "You have me too Haymitch. Thank you for saving my sister, thank you for always protecting her."

_It's the day of the reaping, and Effie has already called my name, I feel my heart beating one hundred miles per minute and I find myself looking over to the men's side trying to catch one of their eyes. Haymitch must feel my eyes and he looks over at me and we share a slight nod. Effie pulls out the slip with Haymitch's name and before Peeta can even get the word volunteer out, Haymitch has punched him, knocking him out just momentarily to ensure that he is the one to join me in the games. _

_District Twelve's tributes for the 75__th__ annual Hunger Games stands before them and their names are Haymitch Abernathy, and Katniss Everdeen._

I don't need anyone's voice to pull me from this flashback because the energy in the room has shifted, and I look up and see that traitor at the door.

I'm up off my chair in an instant grabbing for the drawer where I saw Dr. Zuri pull out a scapula.

"Katniss just hear me out," Finnick says in a pleaded voice with his right hand raised in defeat while his left arm hangs in a sling.

"I don't want to hear you out Finnick, you are not welcome here, you are the reason why he is here in the first place. You really have some nerve coming in here, as if you would think he would want your company after what you did to him!" I say as I'm seething in anger.

This make Finnick angry as well, and instead of having his hand in the air he begins to point at me as he yells back, "Who the hell do you think you are? Speaking for him now are you? How sweet. I'm his friend, I'm entitled to visit him."

I begin to inch forward towards Finnick, trying to deliberate where I'm going to toss the scapula at to cause the most damage. His shoulder is damaged of course, it's the reason his left arm is in a sling. If only I hadn't missed my mark, "I don't know about you, but my friends don't stab me in the back, or in your case throw a spear in my stomach."

Defeated once again, Finnick's eyes glass over, "I didn't even want to do it... Plutarch sent a note to take out Haymitch so they could come collect him. We all knew from the start. Hell Haymitch and Plutarch were the ring leaders of the whole thing, but when we were in the arena plans changed. Katniss I swear I was not aiming to kill, I was aiming for his leg when you yelled for him to duck."

Anger for being perceived as someone who will accept lies after lies I throw the scapula towards his head, only slightly to left to make my point. If Haymitch dies, I want him dead. "Go, I can guarantee you that I will not miss next time, third time's the charm Odair." I say as I give him a wild smile.

Finnick turns towards the scapula and pulls it from the wall, and tosses it back at me, almost in a promise that he will be back.

Agitated I return to my seat and grab Haymitch's hand and try to remember better times.

_I watch the way that his hair moves while he dances. It's not a dance that is familiar to me, which might explain why me and Peeta are here. We're supposed to be learning Capitol dances for the upcoming Quarter Quell, for the ball we will be required to attend the night after the opening ceremony; that's why Haymitch is here with Effie, they are here to teach us, the star cross lovers the steps._

_Peeta announces their arrival; Effie slips over to Peeta's side and directs him on where to place his hands. Haymitch simply smirks at me and tilts his head as if to say, shall we._

_He teaches me the steps, with Effie and Peeta dancing a few feet away from us. Effie breaks from Peeta every once in awhile to make remarks like, "No, no, no, Katniss you're supposed to spin on the third beat not the fourth," and they she will resume with Peeta, and I can hear her remarks to him on how she knows it must be hard with his artificial leg, but to try and be more graceful._

_Half an hour later we've both mastered the most popular waltz done in the Capitol, and before Effie has Peeta and I practice together she wants us to watch her and Haymitch dance it. I watch as how he places his hands on her waist tenderly, how Effie relaxes into his touch and shifts closer to him, and its then I wonder why this makes me feel so hollow inside. _

_Soon, but not soon enough for me, Effie declares that we should move onto another dance. Peeta returns me to Haymitch and he returns to Effie. The hollow feeling inside me dissolves. _

_This how we continue for the next few hours, Haymitch teaches me, Haymitch allows Effie close, and something eats away at me from the inside until I'm returned to my mentors arms. _

_Haymitch, however has taught me the last dance on Effie's list, and per usual, I've mastered the steps long before Peeta does. Effie is right; it's harder for him with his artificial leg. _

_Haymitch looks over at Peeta and Effie and remarks that they aren't even halfway through the dance. He turns towards me and remarks how we can take a break like we usually do, but he must read the look in my eyes, for he pauses and looks at me expectantly for me to speak._

"_Let's dance a dance we are taught in twelve."_

_He looks at me with unreadable eyes but simply nods his approval and takes me by the waist again, but this time I step closer to him, and he doesn't object, rather brings me flush against his body and it's then I knows what dance he's decided to dance with me, and it's not a dance Peeta would know, it's one from the Seam._

_The dances of Seam are much more animated then the dances from the Capitol. I follow Haymitch's lead and for once I can see the man that he might have been had the games never destroyed him, and I like it, I like it a lot. _

_We continue dancing, but on one of our spins, my foot hits the edge of the carpet and I stumble into him, causing us to tumble to the floor._

_Instead of being mad like I expect him to be, he throws his head back and laughs, a real laugh and it sounds so carefree that it make me laugh along with him. _

"_Very graceful sweetheart," he laughs out, and it's then that I realize that one of my hands has migrated to his shoulder, and one of his is still planted on my waist. _

_My hand moves to cup his chin, and I'm sure I didn't really do that so it's not really my fault, and when my gaze lowers to his lips, I'm sure that's not my fault either, because clearly my eyes have a mind of their own._

_It's then I wonder what Haymitch would do right now if I kissed him. I want to, and okay maybe that is my fault, but I've barely even began to lean in when Effie clears her throat. My cheeks burn, and Haymitch lets his hands fall to his sides, and gets up and steps away from me. _

_For the rest of the lesson Peeta looks from me, but I wouldn't meet his eye, to Haymitch, who is staring out the window of the train. _

_I doubt that Haymitch has ever looked twice at me that way, and I know I must keep the act of star crossed lovers alive otherwise everyone I love will suffer, but still I wonder what he would have done. _

"Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire, our Mockingjay, how are you this fine evening?" I look over towards the door to see Plutarch's smiling form grinning at me, with a woman with grey hair standing behind him, looking at me with very calculating eyes.

"I've been better," I reply.

"Of course, of course, and how is our dear friend Haymitch?"

"He's been better," is all I offer as a reply.

Plutarch's smile fades slightly from my sort responses, "Dr. Kingston has informed us that we will know if he makes it here in the next two hours. Have you been with him this entire time you've been in thirteen?"

"I don't know where else I would be."

Sensing the conversation going nowhere, the woman steps from behind Plutarch and extends her hand to me, "Let me introduce myself, I am Alma Coin, president of District Thirteen, you do not know how long we have waited to meet you."

I look at her offered hand and shake it, not sure what else I am supposed to do. Was I supposed to feel honored in meeting her? "Nice to meet, thank you for offering me, and my family hospitality in your district," is all I can think to say to her.

She smiles at this, "Ms. Everdeen I know you do not want to leave Haymitch's side right now, but would you mind discussing some things with me while Plutarch looks over him?"

I stare at her and simply reply, "No"

I can see the agitation in her face, this is a woman who is not very accustomed to hearing no, "It really wasn't a request."

I look over at her and Plutarch, who is fidgeting nervously, he doesn't like the way our conversation has begun to head, "and yet my answer still remains the same." I say as i smile at her.

I can feel irritation rolling off of her, "Well then, you can't avoid me forever, you owe me for saving your life, and as you say, taking your family in. Haymitch's fate will be known in two hours. I'll send someone to collect you then."

And she's stormed off, with Plutarch following behind her. I can already tell, her and I will not get along. I do not like being told what to do, as I've found out in the past, I'm not very good at it either.

"_Hold her Finnick and do not let her come after me," Haymitch is glaring at Finnick, daring him to say otherwise, but Finnick simply nods and makes his grip on my arms tighter and says, "you know I won't Haymitch. Be careful my friend." _

_Haymitch nods his thanks then turns his attention to me, "Sweetheart this is how it has to be."_

_I stare at him, my glare icy, "You know I can come with you, climb a tree, shot them from there, I never miss Haymitch you know this!"_

_Now he's smiling at me, "I know you don't miss sweetheart, I know you don't but this is exactly the type of move they'd be expecting from us. They would never dream that I would let you out of my sight, and you are more dangerous than I am. They will have the trees surrounding them filled with traps. I have to go alone."_

_I'm straining desperately against Finnick, that's when Johanna steps in and grabs my legs, making it impossible for me to escape now. "Haymitch," I plead, "Please don't leave me, please don't leave me." By the end of my plead, it has turned into a sob._

_Haymitch grabs my chin and makes me look at him as he speaks, "I swear to you Katniss, that when we meet in the next life, and every life after that, I will not let you go." Haymitch kisses my forehead, takes one last longing look at me and take off towards the careers._

_I scream for him as he leaves, knowing I probably won't ever see him alive again. _

"_Shut up Katniss," Johanna hisses at me, "you don't really think we are going to let him go alone? So pretty but apparently so daft, do not move from this tree you hear me. Haymitch will murder us both if he knows we've left you alone with Beetee."_

_And before I know it I watch Finnicks and Johannas retreating forms follow after Haymitch. Maybe there is hope after all. _

"Katniss, Katniss wake up," I hear Zuri, trying to wake me, I must have fallen asleep at some point.

"Sorry, didn't mean to dose," I tell her.

She looks over at me sympathetically, "It's okay Katniss, I'm just waking you to inform you that this medicine that I am injecting him with should make him wake within the hour, if he is going to wake at all."

"Okay," I don't know what else to say.

She looks over me again, and then down at Haymitch's hand where I've wrapped both mine around his, "Go back to sleep Katniss, I'm sure you'll feel it when he wakes up," She offers me a sincere smile, which I return with a small smile of my own.

Once she's left the room, I find myself doing exactly what she suggested I do, and doze off to a memory from my recent visit to the training facilities alone, with my fellow tribute.

_I find myself inescapably and unexpectedly pinned to the mat by Haymitch. He's got me face first pinned to the mat, when he leans down and whispers in my ear, "You think you're invincible with that bow of yours, you should know better after last years games. It's time you learned some hand-to-hand combat."_

_I simply nod, "okay." _

_Obviously pleased with himself, he lets me off the floor and motions for me to square off in front of him. As I take one step towards him, he kicks out my legs from underneath me causing me to hit the mat hard, making all the breath escape my lungs. _

_Before I even regain my breath I find myself pinned again but this time on my back. _

"_That was hardly nice," I say_

"_I am not a nice person," he retorts, still obviously pleased with himself how easily he has pinned me again. _

"_You are small, and you won't over power anyone, so you need to learn to escape a pin, go ahead sweetheart, try and get away from me." The shit eating grin he has on his face is enough motivation for me to try and squirm out of there. _

_But despite my best efforts, I give up and tell Haymitch, "Let me up."_

_But that bastard just continues to smirk._

_He leans close to my face again and hovers close to my ear as he whispers, "What was that Girl on Fire? Nobody in that arena is going to show you mercy just because you wear dresses that light up in flames. Now get out of this pin."_

_Anger surges through me and my first instinct is to knee him in the groin, but he is well prepared for that, as all his weight is on my legs, he raises an eyebrow at me, "You didn't really think I'd let you hit them that easily did you? Buy me dinner first, and perhaps we can go from there," he winks at me, with that stupid little smirk of his plastered on his face. I'd like nothing more than to wipe it off._

_And then it occurs to me, if he's playing dirty then so will I. I asses our position, and from an outsider looking in, its quiet intimate, and I know just how to use it to my advantage. I move my hips up into his, in a highly suggestive manner, the moment I make contact with him, he looks down at me in shock._

"_Why buy you dinner, when I already like the position we are in now." I whisper out, as if he's sharing in a secret with me._

_He gives me another shocked look, and I use this moment to repeat my previous motion. His eyes close briefly, and returns the pressure by shifting just slightly which allows me further space to move. _

_And his brief lack of concentration allows me to flip our position, pinning him beneath me. I grind down on him one more time for good measure._

_The grunt he lets out, let me know that I am affecting him._

_But suddenly the lust hits me like a ton of bricks, and it's not only him that I am affecting, I'm affecting myself as well. _

_I lean down, and kiss his ear, then his neck, and my world flips around again and it's Haymitch on top of me again. And the look he gives me now is pure dangerous, "You're playing with fire girl," he warns me._

_But I disregard him and run my fingers through his hair and pull him down closer to me and press my lips to his. I make it a short one so that I can whisper, "kiss me," against his lips to try and coax him into kissing me the way I want to be kissed._

"_Katniss," he breathes, trying to gently pull away from me._

"_Kiss me," I demand more fiercely, and on impulse I bite down on his lip, though not really hard enough for me to hurt him._

_It's then I hear his sharp intake of breath, and then he's crushing me beneath him, his hands locked around my arms, holding them above my head, and his lips press even harder against mine._

_And just as I'm about to try and deepen the kiss, he's off me in a second, realizing what we are doing. _

"_Clever, clever you are, but that won't work in the arena." He says as he's stalking off quickly towards the exit of the training center._

"_Haymitch, wait," I yell out, but he's already on the elevator going towards the twelfth floor. It's then I think of Peeta, Peeta is a good man, and Haymitch is not. It's why he won the Hunger Games, and why Peeta required me to survive. Good men were not made for Panem. _

_But who wants a good man these days._

I am awoken by someone jabbing their finger not so gently on my head, and wonder who the hell would find this a suitable way to wake someone up, but then it hits me.

"Haymitch!" I pop my head up to be greeted with the site of his famous smirk.

"Hello sweetheart."

**AN: Hello to my favorite people in the cyber world, Happy New Year! Thank you for giving me another chance. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, this fandom deserves great fiction, and I hope that I am able to deliver it to you. Anyway please read & review, I'm dying to know what you all think!**


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